Ark Helenswood Academy Prospectus 2017-18

Ark Helenswood Academy

Prospectus

“The teachers here helped me
get much higher grades than I ever
thought would be possible.”

Natasha, Ark Helenswood Academy alumna

“I really enjoyed my time at Helenswood
and I’m really going to miss the teachers.”

Mia, Ark Helenswood Academy alumna

“Teaching is very effective in
mathematics and students work hard
and enjoy these lessons. The performing
and creative arts are strong.”

Ofsted 2015

“Students’ behaviour outside of lessons is
good and they feel safe. The academy’s
work to ensure students’ safety and
tackle bullying is good.”

Ofsted 2015

Inspire . Achieve . Excel



Welcome

Dear Parent Every
at Ark H
Ark Helenswood Academy is an 11-18 comprehensive school Academ
for girls, situated in Hastings, East Sussex. From 16-18 we share
a sixth form with Ark William Parker Academy, ensuring the pote
high academic standards attained by the girls can continue to ac
flourish onwards to University or the career of their choice.
exc
We believe that every Ark Helenswood student has the
potential to succeed. Our broad and relevant curriculum
combined with inspirational teaching means students leave
well educated, confident and ambitious, with an excellent
understanding of the world they live in.

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to join our academy.

Tracy Dohel
Principal

y student
Helenswood
my has the
ential to
chieve
cellence

Inspire . Achieve . Excel 1

“Students enjoy
lessons, are attentive,
enthusiastic and take

pride in the
presentation of

their books.”

22 Ofsted 2015

Inspire

Ark Helenswood Academy is a centre of excellence where
students gain the necessary academic and personal skills to
enjoy a fulfilled life, realise their university and career
ambitions and become active and supportive members of their
community.

Our high standards are underpinned by developing students
who enjoy school, feel safe and receive quality support and
guidance. We actively develop creativity and enterprise,
leadership and responsibility and a concern for the wider
community.

We aim to link the traditional values of hard work, academic
standards and respect for others with a forward thinking
curriculum and the development of the confidence and skills
needed for our girls to enter the twenty first century
workforce.

Achieve

Ark Helenswood Academy is proud to be part of the Ark family - a network of ove
high-achieving schools across Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. Eac
has our own unique character and ethos but we all share the same mission - to e
every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to go to a good u
or into the career of their choice.

A strong focus on teaching and learning has seen Ark get some of the best results
country - at primary, GCSE and A level - but we are about more than just exam re
We want our young people to develop far beyond the classroom which is why we
whole host of exciting extra-curricular activities. Highlights include network-wide
events, performing for packed crowds at our annual Music Gala and Shakespeare
Festival, taking part in work experience with some of the UK’s biggest companies
summer schools at top universities.

We are also extremely proud to be working across the globe - including partnerin
not-for-profit school network in Uganda and opening our very first Ark school in I
take what works well in our UK schools and adapt it to the local context.

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Inspire . Achieve . Excel 3

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that every student

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highly, but recogn

that the needs o
individuals vary a

may need specifi
tailoring.

4 Inspire . Achieve . Excel

Excel

Ark Helenswood Academy achieves excellent examination success, which
continues to improve year on year. Students excel in all areas of the
curriculum whether it be English, mathematics and sciences, creative and
practical subjects, languages or the humanities.

Special Educational Needs
We place a great deal of importance on ensuring that students with special
educational needs are identified, properly assessed and well supported.
Support might be given in class, in a small group or through withdrawal
classes and is delivered by excellent teachers and learning assistants.

Gifted and Talented Students
All students in our academy are challenged and supported to excel in all
curriculum areas, and we are not content with gifted and talented students
simply achieving the expected level for their year. Through careful
identification and assessment we provide suitable challenge and
differentiation to extend the learning of all students in the academy.

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Admissions

Ark Helenswood Academy is a non-selective, 11-18 academy for girls of all
abilities. Applications for all year groups are made in accordance with the
East Sussex County Council co-ordinated admissions arrangements, and
are made on the Common Application Form.

The Academy has a published pupil admission number (PAN) of: 216
students.

If the academy is oversubscribed, priority is given to pupils with statements of special
educational needs. The remaining places are then offered in the following order of
priority:
Secondary - Oversubscription Criteria
• Where the Academy is named on a pupil’s Statement of Special Educational Needs

or Education Health and Care Plan, that child will be admitted by the Academy. If the
number of applications for admission to either the secondary school is greater than
the published admissions number, applications will be considered against the
criteria and order set out below:
a) Looked After Children and children who have been previously looked after (pursuant
to the Admissions Code)1.
b) Children of staff at the school where there is a demonstrable skill shortage – children
of members of staff will have priority in the oversubscription criteria if the staff
member is filling a post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. Ark Schools
is required to approve the Principal’s designation of such posts and confirm the
assessment that a member of staff appointed meets the requirements of the
shortage. Priority will be limited to one place for each form of entry in any year.
c) Children who at the time of the admission have a sibling who attends the academy.
For this purpose “sibling” means a whole, half or step-sister or an adopted child
resident at the same address. In respect of applications to the primary school
(where applicable), the fact that an applicant has a sibling attending the nursery
school will not be a factor giving rise to priority. In the case of multiple births or
sisters in the same year group, where there is only one place available in the
academy, both will be considered together as one application.
d) Children of staff in the school - where there is no demonstrable skill shortage,
priority may be given where the academy is oversubscribed to a child of a person
who will have been employed in the academy for two or more years at the time the
application for admission is made. Priority will be limited to one place for each form
of entry in any year.
e) Children living within a pre-defined community area.

f) Distance measurement (outside the community area)- A child’s home will be the

address at which the child normally resides and which has been notified to the

Academy and other relevant agencies as being the child’s normal place of residence.

i. In those cases where the relevant local authority measures distance on behalf of Ark

Schools, the method they adopt for measurement and also selection between equal

applicants and those living in flats will apply.

ii. In those cases where Ark Schools is required to carry out the measurement itself

priority will be given to those children who live closest to the school using a straight

line measurement taken from Ordinance Survey Data from the Academy Lower

School building’s main reception to the main entrance of the child’s home. Where a

child resides in a block of flats, the distance will be measured from the Academy

building’s main reception to the main entrance of the building in which the flats are

located.

Tie breaker - If Ark Schools is unable to distinguish between applicants using the

published criteria, including those who live in blocks of flats with the same building

entrance, places will be offered via a random draw which will be supervised by

someone independent of the academy.

Distances are measured using the East Sussex County Council’s geographical

information system from the child’s home toAthsepneirareest. gAatecuhseidevbyech.ildSreuncact etheed
Lower School site.

www.arkhelenswood.org

Ark Helenswood Academy
The Ridge

St Leonards-on-sea
East Sussex TN37 7PS

Tel: 01424 753040
Fax: 01424 752529
Email: [email protected]